Auto maintenance: wheel balancing and alignment

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If the wheels are not aligned correctly it can cause the tires to wear unevenly, this will mean that they will need to be replaced much sooner than they would normally.  If you keep your wheels aligned then you will improve fuel economy, increase the life of your tires and also improve the handling and safety of your vehicle.

Normally you will get your wheels aligned when you get a new set of tires fitted.   Most tire and alignment shops recommend a wheel alignment every 15,000 to 30,000 miles.  Alignment is quite a complicated subject and few people actually understand what goes on with it.

Both wheel balancing and wheel alignment require specialist equipment, it’s not a task that you would be able to undertake on your own (unless you’re a mechanic) so it’s important to take your car to a specialist to get these things checked and altered if necessary.  This is where it is good to know or be friends with a mechanic as they can probably get it done for you for free or close to nothing.

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You can improve your fuel efficiency, handling and even the life of your tires by ensuring your wheels are correctly balanced and aligned.  If you start to notice any of the warning signs of your wheels being out of alignment, for example your car always veering to one side of the road then take it to your local garage or tire bay as soon as possible. If you get the wheels aligned then your tires should last a lot longer than they would otherwise. 

Wheel alignment is a necessity on any used car that you buy.  I would make sure you get a tire balance and wheel alignment report right from the dealer prior to signing any paperwork to buy the car.  It can be expensive (a few hundred dollars to do both) and it can even indicate things like the car having had previous frame damage from a previous wreck.  If this is the case definitely get a CarFax and dig deeper before buying what may turn out to be a problematic car.

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Even if you brought your car second hand it is likely to be the second most expensive thing you will ever buy (after your home), surely it is worth spending a little extra time and money to look after it properly. Many of the maintenance procedures can be carried out at home by yourself, however wheel alignment and balancing need to be undertaken by specially skilled people. Take good care of your car and it is sure to take good care of you well into the future.

Previous page Article provided by MDWholesale.com headlight cleaner, headlight restoration and headlight repair.       Comments: I never really thought much about wheel balancing and alignment.  Now, after reading this article, I realize how important it can be.  I also read somewhere that it can greatly effect your fuel economy and at $4 per gallon I need to do everything I can to get the best use out of every gallon of gas! Carl Yarger - San Diego, CA I just take my car to the local car dealership and let them handle it.  They will automatically do things like tire rotations, wheel balancing, and more on a set schedule or as needed to keep my car in optimal running shape.  I need a dependable car and am willing to pay a little more for that. Scott Ostrander - Philadelphia, PA I totally disagree with you Scott.  New car dealerships will recommend and perform maintences that aren't even necessary or required.  I should know, I am a mechanic employed at the local Dodge dealership and we are told in meetings to do earlier recommendations.  We even get bonuses based on how much work we can squeeze out of each customer together with the service advisor.  When the economy goes down like it is now then these meetings become more often and customers lose by paying much more for what is oftentimes not necessary or even required at all.  For example we have a small container full of worn brake pads from various cars.  We are told to pick out a similar worn pad to show customers that their brake pads need replacing even when they don't.  This is fraud, but if we don't do it we can lose our jobs. Duane Daugherty - Columbia, SC Wow, good call Duane.  I thought it was a little funny when something similar happened to me.  I was shown a worn brake pad that didn't resemble my current pads shape.  I have also been told that I need wheel alignment at every oil change or 3500 miles by my Ford dealer.  Now, it's good to hear that my suspicions were right. Lenny Thomas - Dallas, TX I believe wheel balancing and alignment is only necessary after hitting a huge pothole or being involved in a car wreck.  I have had the same car for over 300,000 miles (1984 Volvo 240 diesel) and it has never needed a alignment or wheel balancing and still runs straight and smooth. Andre Gantt - St. Paul, MN Want to place a comment here, contact us and after an anti spam review we will post your comment.             Back to MDWholesale.com headlight restoration and headlight repair  homepage.